Reaction to Children of Immigration

     While reading this book I thought a lot about one of my old co workers.  Looking at her allows me to put both the positives and negatives of immigration, legal and illegal into context.  Brenda was a salad/prep cook that worked in the kitchen.  She came here on a work visa from Guatemala.  One thing that many people often criticize and this book often talks about is immigrants stealing jobs away from Americans.  Well after she left we never had that position consistently filled, because it was a hard position that didn't pay well.  The only ones who might take it were high school students, and they often flaked out.  So I really do have a hard time believing immigrants steal all of these amazing jobs from us.  Most aren't jobs we would take, even if we had a choice.  But another issue that I think is a bigger point is that immigrants draw out from the economy more then they put in.  And not necessarily in services but as an overall effect.  Brenda worked several jobs but lived very lightly, and this was because she sent the vast majority of the money back home to help her relatives.  And this is money that isn't being fed back into the economy.  Even if she pays for her relatives to move here, they will then do similar.  So even though she isn't drawing much services she also isn't adding much to the economy.  And this was further expanded  when her work visa expired, yet she still stayed here.  She was fired from her job where I worked, because the owner didn't want to have an illegal immigrant working for him.  But she found another place that would hire her and pay her under the table.  So then she was making money, that wasn't being taxed, and sending it overseas.  With enough people in similar situations, the economy could be hurt a little or even a lot.  But I agree with this book that immigration is demonized more then it should be.  And it was interesting to learn how many illegal immigrants weren't from South America, but from other countries and had just overstayed their visa.
      This book has had some impact on how I will teach, but not a lot.  I still want to learn about my students, both immigrants and those who's lineage has traced back here generations.  I think that understanding and allowing your students to express themselves is the best way to have them grow and learn.  That's why I really liked how this book looked into different motives for immigrants to come here.  Because the difference in attitude, motives, and outlook between a group that moved to make more money and one that moved to escape persecution is something that you need to be able to look for and understand.  And I think how this book opened my eyes to why different groups have moved here and how it effects them will allow me to be a better teacher.